Pneumatic door check and closer



2 Shets-Sheet 1 GQR. ELLIOTT;

Patented Oct. 10, 1882.,

(NoModeL) PNEUMATIC DOO R GHEGK'AND CLOSER. No. 265,919.

N4 FETERs. Phmo-hthogmpber w ngion. D c

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Modl.)

G. R. ELLIOTT.

PNEUMATIC DOOR 0111301: AND CLOSER.

Pat-entedOct. 10,1882.

7) I fnrez zor N. PETERS. Pmo-mho mhr. Wu'fnghm. 11c.

Unite STATES ATENT rerea GILBERT R. ELLIOTT, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE ELLIOTT PNEUMATIC DOORCHECK COMPANY, OF NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 265,919, dated ctober10, 1882.

Application filed April 17, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GILBERT It. ELLIo'rr, of Boston, Massachusetts, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Door-Checks, of

which the following, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,is a specification.

This invention relates to door stops or checks, and also to devices forretaining the door in any desired or fixed position when open.

It is well known that many devices have been made and adopted for thepurpose of closing doors automatically after being openedsuch asspring-hinges, spiral springs, weights, and other contrivances-which, asfar asI am aware, have not given entire satisfaction and are in manyways objectionable. It is also well known that where such devices havebeen in use great annoyance is caused by the slamming of thedoors'against the jambs or zo door-frames, not only causing verydisagreeable noise, but also frequently, where the doors are very heavy,loosening the plastering and often jarring the whole side of thebuilding. A further objection to the class of devices alluded to as atpresent constituted is that where they are attached to doors it isdifficult to retain the door in an open position. Therefore, to overcomethe objections above referred to and to improve and simplify theconstruction,

' o eheapen the first cost, and to make an effective door check and stayare the objects of my invention.

To these ends therefore my invention consists in certain arrangementsofparts, consist- 5 ing of a combined spring and piston with an outerspring, by means of which, when the door is opened, it automaticallycloses itself in such a manner that it is prevented from slammingagainst the jamb, avoiding the usual thud or 40 jar.

It also consists in the means, herein described, by which the door isheld open and prevented from slamming by means of a cushioning device,or held partly open or ajar to 5 any desired extent against the tensionof the springs or other closing devices.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, and which form part ofthis specification, Figure 1represents a perspective view of my im- 0 proved doorcheck in position,the cylinder or covering being removed, the door being kept partly openby means of the retaining device. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation partlyin section Fig. 3, an end view, plainly showing the weight 5 and leverwhich hold .the .door in position when open. This figure also shows anend sectional view of the cageor casing which inclosestheapparatus.Fig.4representsamodification of the invention, as will be explainedfarther on. Fig. 5 shows a longitudinal section of the apparatus. Fig. 6is a side elevation without the cage or casing, and Fig. 7 represents anend elevation of the apparatus.

Like letters of reference denote like-parts in 6 all the figures.

B is the door, and A the door-jamb.

H is an air-cylinder, which is preferably beveled on its innerwalloutward for the purpose of the ready admission of the piston. Thisis an important feature in the working of the invention, for it oftenhappens that the rod gets out of line from various causes-such astwisting or straining the door, &c.and when so out of line with themouth of the open cylinder it would strike its edge, and thus fail tooperate; but when the mouth of the cylinder is open when the pistonreaches it it cases itself into the cylinder, the beveled inclinationbeing its guide.

E is the piston-head, mounted upon rod I. This rod I extends entirelythrough the apparatus and performs the function of a bolt. It alsocarries the spring and locking device.

C is a bracket-arm, attached to the door at one end and mounted on therod at the other end. The weight-lever P, locking-lever L, andreleasing-lever M are clutched between the jaws formed on theright-angled portion of the bracket-arm C. This clutch D is pivoted onthe upper end of the bracket-arm, so that when the apparatus turns itturns upon this pivot.

In this case one end of the hub of the clutch forms also the hub of thepiston. The other side of the hub of the clutch forms a bearing 5 forthe end of the working spring S.

Spanning the apparatus longitudinally is an angle-iron bent at rightangles at each of its ends. On these ends is formed a hub which fits theends of the rod I. and which is rigidly fastened to said rod. The inneredge of this angle-iron L is serrated or notched and adapted to receivethe end of the lever L, which is thrown into it by the weight whennecessary to hold the door open to any desired position. At the outerend of the cylinder I place another arm-bracket, F, upon which is alsoplaced a pivot somewhat like that of the pivot of a hinge, as seen insection at h, Fig. 5. One end of this arm is fastened to the door-jamb,and a projection, G, extending from the cylinder has a-journal or socketthat tits over said pivot 71, and which turns upon it. v

If desired, acageorcylinderis placed around the spring and the workingmechanism. This casing or cylinder maybe a prolongation of theair-cylinder. It may be reduced at its outer end, as shown at Fig. 2. Itmust have notches to correspond with the notches in the rock or angleiron; or it may have longitudinal slits for the levers to slide in asthe piston slides back and forth.

The rod I has an air-port or ground out on its lower end, which air-portextends into and communicates with the cylinder. This port a is for thegradual escape of air from the cylinder when it is used for anair-cushion. (See arrow.)

It sometimes happens that the packing of the piston becomes dry orloose, and thereby leaks, rendering the air-cushion inoperative, so thatthe door would slam as hard with it as without. To provide for such anemergency I place a flat or other spring in the bottom of theair-cylinder, so that when the air fails to form a cushion the springsatisfactorily performs the function. (See Fig. 2.) \Nhere doors arevery heavy and are apt to shut with great force, then the spring andair-cushion both will be found useful. Of course the spring I) will beinterposed between the piston and the bottom of the cylinder, Fig. 2.The spring alone without the cylinder and piston would produce goodresults as a cushioning device.

A modification of the cushioning device is shown by Fig. 4, made up oftwo elastic diaphragms concave on their innersurfaces, and when puttogether, form an air-chamber. One of the diaphragms is bored for theingress and egress ofthe air. It is evident that when the door israpidly closing, and these two diaphragms are being forced together, theair within their chambers will form a good cushion, and thus prevent thedoor from slamming. This I regard as a very simple and effective doorstop or check, and which may be made very cheaply and easilymanipulated.

The door-retaining device may be utilized as a bolt or lock by springingup the stop when the door is closed.

The operation of this device is apparent to all, and may be stated asfollows The dooris opened to the desired position against the spring,and ordinarily when let go it will instantly slam and create a greatnoise and jar. To preventthis, in the old \vaya weightis placed on thefioor to keep the door open but with my device a rack is located aboveor along the spring, and as the spring recedes a catch is carried withit. Then the door is opened to the desired position the tongue orcatchsprings into the notches in the rack, and thus securely retains the doorin the required position. When it is desired to close the door afterbeing retained in position or not, and to prevent it from slamming, Iplace a cushioning device upon the end of the spring-rod, and when thedoor is near its terminal point it is gradually and softly arrested bymeans of the said cushioning device, and automatically eased to itsplace against the door'jamb. Thus all noise, jar, or thud is prevented.In this way the door may be softly and noiselessly opened and closedwithout the annoyance of the slambang of the old method. The weightautomatically retains the doorin position, and when ,it is desired torelease the door the chain is pulled and the door instantly closes.

The rod retaining device is especially useful when the exit of peopletakes place at churches and at other buildings, and takes the place nowoccupied by a person. It is also very useful in summer, when it isrequired to let the door stand open.

It is evident that modifications within wide limits may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention. I do not therefore desire tobe confined to the precise form shown and described.

Having now described the best method known to me at present, what Iclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination of the door-spring-check cushioning device consistingoft-he spring-rod and air-cylinder and piston with the door-retainingdevice, in the manner shown.

2. The door-check, consisting of the springrod and spring, theair-cylinder andits piston, and the auxiliary spring-cushion, combinedwith the door and jambfastening mechanism, substantially as described.

3. The combination, in a door-check, of the air-cylinder and piston andtheir inclosing casing or cage, and means for forcing the door to, theweighted lever'p, the catch-lever, and the releasing-lever, all arrangedand described for joint operation.

4. In a door-check, the air-cylinder, having beveled mouth, asdescribed, its piston and rod 1, and springs, the said rod having an airgroove or port at its lower end, and the bracket-arms C and F, said armsbeing adapted to retain the checking apparatus in position and to serveas pivots for said apparatus, all combined to operate in the mannerdescribed.

5. The combination, in adoor-check, of the air-cylinder, the piston, therod I, and spring S, the auxiliary spring b in said cylinder, the rackL, and the locking mechanism, with the bracket-arms O F, all operatingtogether to IIO retain the door in any desired position when open and toprevent its slamming when being closed, in the manner shown anddescribed.

6. The door-check consisting of the rod I, 5 spring S. locking devices PL M, the bracketarms 0 F, and the air-chamber H, combined and arrangedto operate as set forth.

7. The combination of the door-check with the air-chamber, thespring-rod and spring,

ro the cage or casing, the rack L,and the bracket-arms F O with theirpivotal projections or journals, said casingbeing provided withlongitudinal slots, substantially as-shown and described.

Signed at Boston, Massachusetts, this the 15 13th day of March, 1882.

GILBERT R. ELLIOTT. In presence ofv CHARLES W; ELLIOTT, Tnos. E. GLARY.

